Big Brother
by La Moonlight Lily
Summary: Based on Tyrion's musings in a Dance with Dragons about when Jaime got him his first pony.


**_A/N:_** I know I have been saying that with each little thing I've been writing recently but this is seriously the worst so far... Don't kill me but I just had to publish it xD

Characters are no mine, I just borrowed them for a bit.

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Today was a good day, Jaime Lannister decided.

After breaking his fast, he spent the first hours of his day sparring with their Master-at-Arms, successfully knocking him down to the ground more than a few times. Followed by that were his daily lessons with Maester Devon. He recited all of the House words flawlessly, his voice firm and sure, and solved all the geometry problems for the day with no trouble whatsoever.

The barely concealed pride in his Lord father's eyes had been priceless.

With his father's permission to do whatever he liked during the few hours before supper, Jaime decided he would bathe quickly before finding his twin sister so they can carry on with their previous day's activities.

The thought of it alone made a wicked grin spread slowly on his face.

Jaime took his time getting to his room, sauntering through the halls and winking at the few maids he met on his way in a manner that made them giggle and blush profusely and would have made Cersei seethe with jealousy.

Taking the final turn before reaching his chambers, Jaime breathed out a little sigh of relief and rolled his neck to the sides thinking about the warm bath he was expecting within the next few minutes and was about to push the heavy oak door to his chambers open-

When he heard the quiet sobbing and sniffling from the alcove nearest to his room.

At fourteen, almost a man grown, very much aware of how attractive his build and his golden mane of hair is, very much aware of his social status as a lord's son, as_ Lord Tywin Lannister's son_, Jaime didn't give two shits about which person in the castle was crying discreetly because of whatever might have happened.

If only the sound wasn't so familiar…

Sighing, Jaime turned around and made his way towards the alcove where he found the now disgustingly familiar sight of his little brother curled up into a ball and sobbing his heart out into his hands.

"Tyrion." He said softly so as not to scare him and got on his knees beside his brother's tiny form.

At the sound of his voice, Tyrion looked up and immediately scrambled into his embrace. Jaime instantly wrapped his arms around Tyrion's tiny form, rubbing his back in an attempt to soothe him. For all his cockiness, it was common knowledge than Jaime Lannister had a soft spot for his five-year-old brother and he was not ashamed of it.

"What's wrong?"

"Cersei was being mean again." Tyrion said sadly, sniffing again and rubbing his nose into his brother's shoulder.

Jaime sighed again. He and Cersei had agreed that for all her hatred towards him, she would not hurt their baby brother. Apparently by Cersei's standards, that meant not disfiguring his face with a dagger, but emotional pain was perfectly acceptable.

"What happened?" _This time_, he wanted to add but didn't think it would help matters at the moment.

"I was watching the knights and the horses. And the horses looked so pretty and I said I wanted to ride one but Cersei laughed and said-" He started crying again.

"Cersei said what?" Jaime urged gently.

"She said that I can never ride a horse because I'll always be too small. And that I'm too ugly that even if I tried the horse would be too disgusted and throw me off its back."

Tyrion snuggled even closer to him and Jaime started rubbing his back again, not sure how to deny Cersei's words. It was obvious that their brother was no ordinary human, but she did not need to remind him of it so cruelly.

"Do you really want to ride a horse?" He asked instead.

Tyrion nodded, sniffing again and Jaime drew back a bit so he can look into his brother's mismatched eyes.

"Would you like me to take you riding?"

Tyrion brightened a bit. "You would do that?" He asked, and Jaime's heart broke at how unbelieving his brother's tone was.

"Yes, I would." He ruffled Tyrion's hair and smiled at him, earning a shy smile back. "Come on. Let's go before it gets too late. You have your lessons in a bit and I won't be able to take you out after supper."

Jaime held Tyrion's hand firmly, significantly shortening his strides so as to match his brother's tiny steps, waddles more like, and led him to the stables, straight to where the horse that his father got him a few moons before was kept.

"This is Thunder." Jaime said as they reached the horse.

"He's so big." Tyrion murmured, hesitation clear on his face.

"Yes he is. But he's really gentle." Jaime smiled and lifted Tyrion up. "Would you like to pet him first?"

Tyrion nodded and Jaime moved forward, urging Tyrion to pet the palfrey's head.

They stayed there for a moment, Tyrion giggling as Thunder kept rapidly shaking his head and nuzzling his nose against Tyrion's tiny palm.

"Shall we ride him now?" Jaime asked and Tyrion nodded excitedly, all the hesitance now gone, and Jaime put him down for a bit so he could saddle the palfrey. Once done, he lifted Tyrion up again easily, placing him on the saddle and climbing up behind him, one hand holding the reigns, the other wrapped around Tyrion's tiny form, holding him firmly in place. Jaime kicked the horse into motion and felt Tyrion tense.

"Relax." He told him. "I've got you, little brother."

They moved slowly at first so as not to spook Tyrion, simply trotting for a bit till he relaxed, keeping the same pace until they reached the coast of the Sunset Sea, Tyrion now a lot more relaxed.

"Jaime, make him go faster! I want to go faster!" His brother demanded and Jaime increased Thunder's pace to a gallop.

To Jaime, it was nothing, the pace quite boring if he was riding by himself or with one of his friends, but for Tyrion… For Tyrion, it felt like flying, the tiny blond lad laughing freely and tossing his head back happily, as if he were soaring into the air.

Seeing that they both needed to bathe and clean up before supper, Jaime had to turn around and head back to the stables after a little while, slowing down once they neared the castle. He called a page to them when they arrived and dismounted, holding his arms up to Tyrion, who immediately reached for him.

He carried Tyrion to his room, his brother wrapping his short, tiny arms around his neck. Once they arrived, he tried to set him down, but Tyrion wouldn't let go, squeezing Jaime as tightly as he could.

"You're my best brother, Jaime." He murmured quietly into Jaime's neck and Jaime felt his chest tighten.

"I'm your only brother, squirt." He chose to say instead, ruffling Tyrion's hair playfully.

"Well you're the best brother anyone can ever have."

Jaime swallowed and just held his brother tighter to him. "You're the best brother anyone can ever have too, Tyrion." He choked out, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"Even though I'm such a disgrace to the Lannisters?" The heartbreaking sadness in the five-year-old's voice simply broke him and Jaime pulled back, one of his hands rising to cup Tyrion's cheek.

"Never say that again. Ever. You're not a disgrace-"

"But I'm so little! And ugly!" Tyrion interjected.

"I don't care! It does not matter, you're not a disgrace to our House! You're Tyrion Lannister, son of Tywin Lannister, the most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms and _my_ brother! And you will grow up to be a fine young man that will be known and remembered all over the Kingdoms!" Jaime finished in one breath, breathing heavily, watching Tyrion give him a curious stare.

"Even though I'll never be able to ride on my own?" Jaime threw his head back and laughed and hugged Tyrion again. "Oh you'll ride all by yourself! You'll see!"

The next morning, Jaime led Tyrion outside, careful not to walk too fast and make his brother fall head first into the ground since they were both so excited, even though Tyrion had no idea what Jaime was going to show him.

"Here we are!" Jaime announced as soon as they were into the stables, this time stopping near a small, white horse.

"It's a baby horse!" Tyrion exclaimed.

"No, silly, baby horses are called foals. And that's a pony anyway, not a foal." Jaime explained patiently.

"Well what are we doing with a pony? We can't ride that! You're too big for it!" Tyrion declared in an adorable know-it-all way and Jaime smiled at him.

"I'm not riding him. You are."

"What? Me?!" Tyrion's mismatched eyes widened in astonishment and Jaime nodded.

"Yes, you. He's yours."

"And I can name him and all?!"

"Yes, you can." Jaime grinned and Tyrion looked away, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Can I call him Jaime?"

Jaime tried not to burst out laughing and mock scowled at his brother. "You most definitely cannot call him Jaime!"

They would spend the rest of the morning arguing over pony names, with Jaime trying to convince his stubborn younger brother that he just can't name his pony after him. When Cersei turns away from him, her nose up high in the air, ignoring his words because he had been ignoring her for the past few days in favour of their little brother, he does not mind much. The happy air around Tyrion for a long while after is most definitely worth it and, as much as he loved his twin, making his brother so happy and carefree while he taught him how to ride Jay, both brothers meeting half way with the pony's name, is simply priceless.

**_Fin._**

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Reviews are highly encouraged!

Until next time;

**_Lily_**


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